Means for sealing vessels.



PATENTED DEC. 8, 1903.

J. M, HICKS. MEANS FOR SEALING VESSELS.

APPLICATION PIQLED JULY 3. 1903. I i

- N0 MODEL.

' zzfnesses:

UNITED STATES Patented December 8, 1903.

PATENT QFFICE.

T ABBOT AUGUSTUS LOW,

OF HORSESHOE, NEW YORK.

' MEANS FOR SEALING vEssELs.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 746,330, dated December8, 1903.

Application filed July 3,1903. Serial No. 164,202. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES MILNOR HIoKs,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Summit,county of Union,Stateof New Jersey, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Meansfor Sealing Vessels, of-

of cap for sealing the vessel-mouth by means.

of a stopper inserted into the vessel-mouth through an opening centralof its upper depressed surface, said stopper being forced outwardagainst the under side of the cap by means of the pressure of thecontents of the vessel, both gaseousand fluid, or either,.the

said cap being shown with the usual screwfastening.

The object of my present invention is to attach the sealing-cap to thevesselin a simpler and more convenient manner and more cheaply. My meansof securing the cap upon the vessel, as hereinafter specified, isrendered efiicient and possible from the fact that no tightening of thecap upon the vessel mouth and stopper is resorted to previous tocharging the vessel, itbeing merely requisite that the cap be placedupon the vessel-mouth and held there against outward strain from withinthe vessel after charginga decided reversal of the old and usual method.By the old methods the pressure of the fluids outward from within thevessel tends to loosen the sealing, and the gases above the fluid oftenescape, leaving only the gases within the fluid remaining, and thatonlypartially. Itthus becomes necessary for the one who fills the vessel tocharge the contents as highly as possible and to have a surplus chargein the vessel, especially when prepared for use in hot countries. On thecontrary, by my invention. the greater the pressure in the vessel thetighter the sealing will be, and the grip of the cap on the neck of thevessel will be tighter,

and no gas or fluid will escape. To open the vessel, 2. simpleturning ofthe cap circumferentially, so that the ears or indents on the cap matchthe out-outsin the rim, is all that is needed, and the pressure forcesthe, cap OE and the stopperout.

In order that those. skilled in the art to which my invention appertainsmay understand, construct, and use my invention, Iwill proceed todescribe it, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a central longitudinal section of my invention, showing the cap inplace on the vessel-neck previous to inserting the stopper and thecorkstopper in place ready to be pressed through the depressed openingin the cap by a plunger used in bottling-machines. Fig. 2 is a similarview of the stopper in place 'after being forced into theneck of thevessel through the openingin the cap and beneath .the depression. Fig. 3is atop view showing the cap on the vessel. Fig. 4 is a top View of thevessel, the cap being removed to show the cut-outs in the rim or bead onthe outside of the vessel-neck near its top. Fig. 5 is a view of the capfrom its under side, showing the cars which take under the rim on theneck.

A is the body of the vessel.

B is a bead or rim near the top of the neck.

0 is a cap having a central hole E in its upper surface; s

D is a tapering depression of the upper surface of the cap 0,surrounding the opening or hole E.

b b b are cut-outs or blank spaces-in rim B.

a. is an outer flange to cap 0, which tends downward about bead or rim Bwhen on the vessel.

0 represents ears or indents bent inward in outer flange a and arespaced in said flange a to passthrough cut-outs or blanks b b b whenplacing the cap 0 on the vessel and are then caused to take under rim Bby a slight circumferential turning of the cap.

F is the cork stopper.

. G is the plunger of a bottling-machine.

The cap is removed by turning the ears 0 c cto the cut-outs or blanks bb b to release its hold on the vessel. The gaseous pressure then forcesthe cap ofi and the stopper out,

which opens the vessel.

Having now fully described my invention and the manner in which I haveembodied it, what I claim as new and as my invention, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a means for sealing vessels, the combination consisting of avessel provided with a neck; a rim above said neck at its top; verticalcut-outs in said rim; a cap having an outer downwardly-tending flangeprovided with ears bent inwardly, constructed and arranged to passthrough said cut-outs, and by turning the cap circumferentially to takeunder the said rim on the vessel-neck and to retain said cap upon thevessel mouth; a stopper located beneath said cap whereby the vessel issealed by the pressure from within the vessel, substantially inthemanner and for the purposes hereinbefore specified.

2. In a means for sealing vessels by the pressure from the contents ofthe vessel, the

combination consisting of the vessel provided with a neck; an exteriorrim near the top of said neck; a cap constructed to engage with said rimto secure it upon the vessel and provided with a central opening in itstop surface; a stopper located beneath said cap, said cap being freefrom any strain upon the vessel, until the pressure from Within thevessel applies a strain through the medium of the stopper, in sealingthe vessel, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 8th day of May, 1903.

JAMES MILNOR HICKS.

Witnesses:

NATHANIEL P. BARR, FREDK. W. FIELDING.

